Web-handling apparatus



Filed March 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l unlilmmm IIIIIIIIIIIIIHH April 1932' A. ISHERWOOD 1,853,975

WEB HANDLING APPARATUS Filed March 11. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ARTHUR ISHERWOOD, OF BOSTON,

. the resulting Fatent'ed Apr. 12, 1932 warren STATES-{PATENT OFFICE MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS LEYLAND & 60., INC., OF READVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF -MASSAGHUSETTS WEB-HANDLING APPARATUS Application filed March 1 1, 1929. Serial No. 346,071.

In various connections in which a continu ous web travels longitudinally in a flat state, it is usual to employ a so-called expander for the purpose of distending or expanding the traveling web widthwise, thereby to take out slack and wrinkles, and sometimes to stretch the web widthwise. ment is incidental to the manufacture'or treatment of a web; at other times an ex-' pander is employed for the purpose of preparing the web for being operated upon by machine elements,

ment, or for being wound" or otherwisedisposed of. The so-called Mycock. expander is well-known and widely used.

described in U. S;

Letters Patent No. 687,847, granted Decf3, 7

Forms thereof are shown and 1901, for Apparatus for distending textile fabrics; and No; 1,233,059, granted July 10,

1917, for Cloth spreader or expander.

An expander of the Mycock type is characterized by having aplurality of revoluble rollers, arranged for the passage of the web alternately over and under the respective rollers, in contact with the roll-peripheries, these rollers being bowed in the direction in which the web is traveling. It is common to make provision for pander rolls into and out of the same work ing plane as the remainder, this adj ustability being utilized for varying the expanding action or eflect upon the web as it travels past the rolls. 7

Ordinarily, a bowed expander roll comprises a flexible roll-body surrounding and capable of revolving around a bowed nonrevolving supporting shaft. In usual practice heretofore, the frictional engagement between the traveling web and the roll-exteriors has been depended upon to cause the body of a roll to revolve around the non-revolving bowed supporting shaft. stances, certain factors have operated so that character, or in treating light and sleazy or otherwise delicate woven fabrics, because of At times, such employ or for a finishing treat-' shift of certainof the ex- 7 In various indegree. of strain imposed upon the liability of injury due to the said strain.

Thus, it has interfered with such employment in connection with webs of some natures the manufacture thereof.

My invention remedies the drawback just set forth, as explained later herein.

The nature of the invention. is indicated more precisely in the following description having reference to the accompanying drawings, the latter showing spreading or expanding devices of the type aforesaid in which the invention is embodied.

In the drawings, 7

Fig. 1 is a view, on the order of a diagram, looking at one end of an apparatus-including the said devicesQ Fig. 2 is a plan view, on a larger scale than Fig. 1,of parts at one end of the expander of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows elements of one of the expander rolls of Figs. 1 and 2, disassembled.

Fig. 4 is a plan view, on'a smaller scale than a bath 1 of fluid, the upper level of which is indicated at 2, from a roll 3 that is submerged within said fluid, the web extending from the bath to and over a roll 4 serving the combinedfunctions of guiding and feeding the web. The shaft 41 of roll 4 is shown as having fixed thereon a sprocket-gear 42 through which power is received to rotate roll 4 to feed or assist in feeding web w through frictional engagement betweenthe roller-periphery and the surface of the web. From roll 4 the web passes to the rolls 5, 5, 5, of a Mycock expander, going under the first of such rolls, over the second thereof, and under the third thereof, and thence to a roll 6. Roll 3 may be a batch roller comprising a wound supply of web to be treated and operatedupon, or a ide-rollserving to conduct. the 'web in its the case may be. Roll 6 may be a winding roll upon which the web is received and wound as the web leaves the expander, in which case suitable provision is made for occasioning rotation of such roll to wind up the web, or it may be a simple guide-roll serving to conduct the webto a subsequent portion of the apparatus.

At 7, 7, are shown the stationary supports at opposite. ends. of. the .expander servingi to sustain the. ends 'of the non-revoluble bowed supporting shafts 51, 51, 51, of the expander rolls. As stated earlier herein,-the flexible roll-bodies surround and arecapable of revolving around these non-revoluble shafts.

In an organization like that represented in Figs. 1 and 2 the middle roll 5 otthe group of three expander .rollsis made adjustablein directions at right angles with theplane of ,the axes of the rolls at. each side of said middleroll, so as to modify the course of theweb (indicated by the dotted line) to vary the spreading action inefi'ect on the web, The adjustment: devices, of well-known character,

3 are provided in connection with turrets .500 at opposite ends of the rolls.

Asis well-known, in the revolution ofthe body of an expander-rollaround;the nonrevoluble bowed shaft upon which such body -,is mounted,theportions. of the said body intermediate the middle of] the length of the bowed roll and the ends of the latter revolve inplaneswhich are inclined with relation to a plane intersecting the axis. of theroll, at

right angles therewith, at the middle point.

The planes of revolutionof the difierentportions. of aroll body between themiddlepoint andone end of the rollbody incline, outwardly .toward the said end; those intermediate the middle point and the other end ofgthe roll body incline outwardlytoward thezlatter end. This secures the.mode of operation providing for the action of theroll in spreadinm or. expanding atweb.

iiactors of theresistancewhich; in thecase of expanders heretoforehas had to be overom y t e a ing inj u str in upon the latter, comprise (1) the resistance of the web being spread or expanded widthwise, or it may be to being stretched widthwise; (2) that incident to causing revolution otthe different portions. of the roll-body at various degrees ofinclination-in opposite directions around the non-revoluble supporting shaft; and (3) in the case of a rubber-covered roll, Fig. 3, the resistance due to oppos i tion of; the rubber covering tobeingextended lengthwise.in opposite directions toward opposite ends of the roll in. passing from the concave side of the rollito the convexside thereof, and to being condensed lengthwise fromthe oppositeendsof the roll to-wardthe middle of the length of the latteninpassing around from the convexside to. the concave side.

I have stated hereinbefore that my invention remedies the drawbacks presented by expanders heretofore, through the employment of means for rotating the bowed expanding rolls of an expander without strain upon the web operated upon. Such means comprises, inthe illustrative embodiment of the invention, sprocket-wheels 52, 52, 52, hav ing in fixed connection therewith clutch-hubs .53, .53, .53, normally iinterengaging. with clutchrhubs 54E, 5e, .54, in :fixed connection ward by the. guide andfeed-roll landnecesef sitated. by the apparatusrequipment succeeding the expander; or, when suitable for the results to berattained, the expandenrollsmay be given a surface-speed exceeding moreo'r lessfthat of the guideand feed-r0114.

The interlocking, clutch-projections ofthe sprocket wheel' hubs and the roll-bodies have a loose fit providing for play, as eusto nary in the case. of the clutch portionsof the rolls sections. of some. types of -Mycock expanders.

The r0ll driving connectionswmay be du plicated atthe o'ppositeends of-therolls.

In connection with, sprocketchain ,I provide a chain-tightener to keep the said sprocket-chain properly taut, and to give and take up vslaeklas the middlerollis adjusted with relationtp theplane oocupiedbythe axes otthe first and third rolls of, the series. Such ehain-tightener comprises a sprocketwheel 57, Fig. 1, taking againsttheunderside of the tight or driving run of the sprocket-chain, ,such sprocket-wheel ,being carriedbya lever 58 mounted pivotally at 59 upon a suitable fixed support. The-lever may be swung manually so tocause the tighteneresprocket 57 to tighten theichain as muchas-may be requisite. At 581-is shown a. weight for actuating the chain-tightener automatically to take up any slack that may arise during the worl ring of the mechanism, A1360 is a fixed ratchet in;fixed connection With the adjacentsupport .7, andat 61 is,a detent-pawl which is pivotally mounted upon lever 58 andthrough engagement with thefixed ratchet 60latches the lever 58 and tightener-sprocket in adjusted position.

In somecases, for use in operating upon classes of goods capable of withstanding strain, the means for producing roll surface movement, combined with the ,roll equipme t. of a xp 13E1 ,Q h type rep e nted roll 4; and I-contemplate, also, providing for giving in some cases difierent rates of surface speed to the second and succeeding rolls, for the attainment of spec al results in handling webs of some classes.

adaptation of As explained already, in an expander of the Mycock type, the usual construction provides for shift of certain of the expander rolls into and out of the same working plane 0 as the remainder, and, in the present instance this adjustment is provided for in connection with the middle expander roll of the group shown in the drawings. The sprocket-chain 58, in virtue of being flexible, accommodates itself to such a shift, without disengagement of the chain from the sprocket-wheels, and also without interruption of the driving of the rolls and of their accompanying expanding action upon the cloth, when the lever 58 is properly manipulated. The improved arrangement permits the adjustment of the degree of expanding action to be made quickly and easily, thus greatly facilitating the the expander organization to the different kinds of web material put through it. Since every change in the degree of expanding action calls for sponding change in the relative position of the three sprockets 52 on the rolls, a simple and easily manipulated means of taking up or giving up slack in the drive chain 55 has had to be devised in the form of the described chain-tightening arrangement. Further, on account of the nature and construction of the machines on which these expanders are used as auxiliary devices, it is not practicable to insert the chain-tightening means in the slack run of the chain, and through being of necessity in the tight or driving run of the chain, such tightening means must be adapted to resist being pulled from its desired adjusted position when the chain is subjected to the load of driving the rolls 5. 7 To meet these conditions the novel tightener device of the invention has been devised, in which the weighted lever will automatically take up any slack resulting from adjustment of the middle roll 5, while the expander is momentarily at rest, or the weighted end of the lever may be moved by hand to impart the I desired degree of tightness to the chain.

Thereafter, the position given the sprocket-l wheel 57 in either of these Ways will be maintained by the engagement of the pawl 61 with the fixed ratchet 60, until it is necessary to give up slack to the reverse shift of the middle expander roll, which giving-up is quickly effected by releasing the pawl from its engagement with the ratchet.

What is claimed as the invention is: 1. Web-expander apparatus having in combination a plurality of bowed expander rolls jadjustableinto and out of alinementto; vary the expanding action, power driving means for the rolls including sprockets upon the respective rolls and a sprocket-chain, and a "chain-tightener compensating for the change of centers of the sprockets upon adthe respective rolls and a sprocket-chain, and a chain-tightener adapted to give up or take up slack in the chain to permit the shift of centers of the sprockets incident to changing the expanding action of the rolls, and there after to .maintainfixedly its position and the f tension of the chain.

3. Web-expander apparatus having in combination a plurality of bowed expander. rolls adjustable into and out of alinement to varythe; expanding action, power driving means for the rolls including sprockets upon the respective rolls and a sprocket-chain, and a chain-tightener in the tight or driving run of the chain, adapted to assume a position taking up or. giving up slack in the chain resulting from shift ofthe rolls to vary the expanding action, and to maintain such position against the tension of the chain under driving load. 7

4:. Web-expander apparatus having in combination a plurality of bowed expander rolls adjustable into and out of alinement to vary the expanding action, power driving means for the rolls including sprockets upon the respective rolls and a sprocket-chain, and a chain-tightener in the tight or driving run of the chain comprising a lever,'a sprocket pivoted thereon, a pawl upon the lever, and a fixed ratchet engaged by the pawl to maintain the lever and the sprocket in adjusted position against the tension of the chain when the latter is under load.

' 5. Web-expander apparatus having in combination a plurality ofbowed expander rolls adjustable into and out of alinement to vary the expanding action, power driving means for the rolls including sprockets upon the respective rolls and a sprocket-chain, and a chain-tightener in the tight or driving run of the chain comprising a weighted lever, a

sprocket pivoted on such lever, a pawl upon the lever, and a fixed ratchet engaged by such pawl to maintain the lever in the position expanding action, and power drivingmeans engagir lgi sushi elements for imparting rotation to; the rolls, such driving means, including devices maintaining. the parts: in driving relation and the rolls rotating-t0 continue the expanding action and the travel: ofrthe Web while their-elativeshift ofithe rolls is being accomplished.

ARTHUR ISHERWQOD. 

